California and the Balkans

The California Army National Guard in Bosnia-Hertzigovina

 

126th Medical Company (Air Ambulance)

 

An 80-soldier unit of the 126th Medical Company spent more than seven months in Bosnia. Under Presidential authorization, the unit, along with 10 UH-60 "Blackhawk" helicopters, was deployed to Tusla, Bosnia, in support of Operation Joint Forge, in August 1998. The medical unit supported U.S. and NATO troops with their peacekeeping efforts in the Bosnia region. The participants returned home on March 31, 1999.

The 126th Medical Company, its 130 members, and 19 UH-60 helicopters are located at Mather Field in Sacramento, California.

 

649th Military Police Company

 

The Secretary of Defense activated 125 members of the California Army National Guard's 649th Military Police Company on January 16, 1997 for federal service under the Presidential Call-up to support "Operation JOINT ENDEVOUR." The members of the 649th left Travis Air Force Base on January 26, 1997 for Rhein-Main, Germany where they joined the 95th MP Battalion and replaced active duty MPs sent to Bosnia. The 649th operated in the areas of Heidelberg and Kaiserslautern, Germany.

 

Battery F, 144th Field Artillery Regiment

 

After months of planning and preparation, 85 California Army National Guard members from Battery F, 144th Field Artillery deployed to Bosnia in December 1997 for seven months, as part of the NATO peacekeeping effort "Operation Joint Endeavor."

The battery's deployment marked the first time a California Army National Guard unit served in the actual war-torn area since the multi-national peacekeeping efforts began in December 1995.

The unit, part of the 40th Infantry Division, operated target acquisition radars that can detect everything from rifle bursts to

large artillery fire and determine within a few feet where that fire originated.

Members of Battery F are mostly from Southern California. They flew to Georgia on November 16, 1997 for a month's training prior to deployment. The unit returned home in July 1998.

 

69th Press Camp Headquarters

 

Twenty-five members of the 69th Press Camp Headquarters will deploy to Fort Benning, Georgia on September 19,1999 for validation in preparation for a deployment to Bosnia. Upon arrival in Bosnia, the members of the 69th performed Press Camp missions in support of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division. Missions included publishing command information publications and performing occasional media escort duties. The Press Camp personnel returned to California in June 2000

 

 

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Updated 23 June 2017